Sheet metal cotton picker bar and spindle assembly



May 1, 1962 M. D. JENNINGS ETAL SHEET METAL COTTON PICKER BAR AND SPINDLE ASSEMBLY Filed July 24, 1959 a( 3? 4a aa/ ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,031,831 SHEET METAL COTTN PICKER BAR AND SPINDLE ASSEMBLY Marvin D. Jennings, Naperville, and John R. Timberlake, Downers Grove, lill., assignors to International Harvester Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Filed July 24, 1959, Ser. No. 829,316 6 Claims. (Cl. 56-44) This invention relates to cotton harvesters of the spindle type and more specically to a novel mounting and support for such spindles.

Cotton pickers of the type under consideration compn'se one or more picking drums, each of which includes a plurality of upright bars and the bars each carrying internally thereof a vertical driving shaft which is intergeared with a plurality of vertically spaced substantially horizontally extending picking spindles. The spindle support or picking bar must be very accurately machined in order to mount the driving parts properly so that they operate efficiently and have long life.

The fabrication of various designs of the cotton picking bars has posed serious manufacturing problems with consequent high cost.

A general object of the invention is to provide a novel and eicient picker bar which is of relatively simple construction and wherein the various parts are contoured to add to the strength of the bar as well as for functional purposes.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a cotton picker bar which comprises a tubular portion with a pair of forwardly directed flanges which carry the cotton picker spindle assemblies, these iianges being periodically contoured on the order of the location of the respective spindle assemblies to form clamps for holding the same.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the speciiication and the drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a broken apart side elevational view, partially in vertical section, of a cotton picker bar assembly incorporating the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2 2 of FIG- URE l;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded View of the cotton picker bar assembly.

Describing the invention in detail and having a particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a cotton picker bar generally indicated 2 which includes a tubular upright C-shaped section or core or column member 3 which at its upper end terminates in a substantially cylindrical upper end portion 4 which telescopes into a bore 5 of a hub or trunnion 6 which is generally cylindrical having an outer bearing surface 7 and terminating at its upper end in a cam arm S the upper end of which provides a journal 9 for an associated cam roller, as well understood by those skilled in the art. The lower end of the portion 6 has an annular shoulder 10 which limits downward movement of the cam arm assembly generally designated 12 onto the core 3 of the cotton picker bar through engagement of the lower edge 13 of the shoulder portion with the upper edges 14 of the forwardly projecting flanges 1S of the C-shaped tubular portion 3 of the picker bar defining slots 16 therebetween.

The upper portions 17 of these anges 15 receive a forwardly and downwardly projecting securing lug 18 therebetween, the lug 18 being connected to the rim or shoulder 10 and being secured to ilanges 15 as by a bolt and nut assembly 2i) which passes through an aperture Z2 in the lug 18 and transversely aligned apertures 22 in the upper portions 17 ofthe iianges 151. It will be seen that the flanges 15 are formed with opposing clamping portions or halves or pocket structures 25 which are convexed outwardly and spaced on the order of the vertical spacing of the cotton picker spindle assemblies 26 and each of the portions 25 provides an internal approximately cylindrical concave surface 27 which receives the `adjacent side of the tubular holder 281 of the respective assembly 26. It will be seen that between each clamp structure 25 there is provided a pair of opposed pinch or securing portions or webs 30, 30 which admit a nut and bolt assembly 32 through transversely aligned openings 33 therein, the assemblies 3-2 also passing through an aperture 34 in a sealing member 3S which is preferably oi elastomer material such as rubber neoprene or the like. The member 3S snugly tits between the adjacent assemblies 26 and is in engagement with the sleeves 23 thereof to prevent the leakage of oil which migrates through the inner and outer bearings 32 and 33 which are pressed into opposite ends of each sleeve 28. The bearings support the shank 3S of the spindle 36, the inner end of the shank 35 having a gear 37 which meshes with a companion bevel gear 38, the bevel gear 38 being connected to the vertical drive shaft 39, the said drive shaft mounting in addition to the bevel gears S8 which are spaced on the order of the spacing of the spindles 36, a plurality of bearings 41. The bearings 41 each have an outer cylindrical periphery 42 which is snugly admitted into the bore 47 in a coniining and supporting sleeve 48, the sleeve 4S having a forwardly projecting lug 49 (FIG. 3) which extends between the rear or inner ends of the adjacent ange portions 16 for retention thereby against rotation within the C-shaped portion 3 and against vertical displacement. It will be seen that a rubber or rubber-like seal 34 is located between lug 18 and the uppermost holder 28.

It will be seen that the upper end of the shaft 39 is provided with a drive gear 51 for driving the spindle assemblies and that the bar is supported in its proper relation in the drum between the trunnion member 6 and a lower trunnion or sleeve 53 which is pressed into the lower end 54 of the tubular portion of the bar which abuts against the top edge 55 of an outturned sleeve portion 56.

Thus it will be seen that a novel, self-sustaining cotton picker bar assembly is provided wherein each of the cotton picker spindle assemblies are individually removable and replaceable without disturbing the entire picker bar structure. Furthermore, the convolutions of the forward portion of the bar provide a rigid transverse and vertical structure which resists bending and deformation. In addition the entire structure is particularly simplified and is capable of easy assembly and disassembly.

Having thus described a preferred form of the invention, it will be understood that the foregoing description is merely for the purpose of disclosure and not limitation and that the scope of the invention is to be measured by what is claimed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A cotton picker bar comprising a sheet metal column member substantially C-shape in cross-section and having a pair of forwardly extending iianges with a plurality of outwardly convexed pocket structures providing support halves for mounting associated cotton picking assemblies therebetween, said ilanges being flexible.

2. A cotton picker bar comprising a sheet metal column member substantially C-shape in cross-section and having a pair of forwardly extending flanges vsuth a plurality of outwardly convexed pocket structures providing support halves for mounting associated cotton picking assemblies therebetween and webs between said pocket structures, and means drawing said webs together.

3. A cotton picker har comprising a tubular column portion with forwardly directed opposing flanges and a plurality of vertically spaced opposing cotton picker spindle-embracing pocket portions, said anges having clamp web portions between the pocket portions defining narrow vertical slots, and securing means extending through the web portions.

4. The invention according to claim 3 and sealing means mounted between said web portions and filling said slots.

5. The invention according to claim 3 and spindle aesemolies mounted in said pocket portions, driving 'means for said assemblies in said tubular portion including a 4 vertical drive shaft and bearing means therefor and bearing supports about said bearing means snugly tting in said tubular portion and having a projection extending into the adjacent slot.

6. The invention according to claim 3 and a cam arm and journal structure mounted on the tubular portion and having a locking lug extending into the slot dened by the web portions at the upper end of the bar.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

